1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mixing unit for mixing a fluid such as a liquid or a gas and a device using such a mixing unit, and, more particularly, relates to a mixing unit that can be suitably utilized for static mixing where a fluid is mixed by being passed, dynamic mixing where a fluid is mixed by rotation within the fluid, the promotion of a reaction involving the mixing of a liquid and the like, and to a device and a method using such a mixing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a static mixing device for mixing a fluid, a Kenics-type static mixer or the like is widely used. Since this type of static mixing device generally does not include a movable component, the static mixing device is widely used in fields, such as the chemical industry and the food industry, in which fluids are required to be mixed in piping. On the other hand, as a dynamic mixing device, a product is widely used in which an agitation impeller is provided in a fluid within a mixing vessel and which rotates the agitation impeller to mix the fluid.
As a conventional static fluid mixing device, there is a static fluid mixing device which includes a tubular case body and a plurality of types of disc-shaped elements where a plurality of holes are drilled a predetermined space apart within the tubular case body, and in which the elements are sequentially combined in the direction of thickness thereof, are fitted and are fixed with connection hardware.
In the fluid mixing device described above, a plurality of types of elements are sequentially combined, and thus static mixing agitation caused by the division and combination of a fluid is performed, and mixing agitation is also performed such as by eddies and disturbance resulting from enlarged and reduced cross sections and shearing stress.
However, in the fluid mixing device described above, since the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the mixing device is the same as the direction of the division and aggregation of the fluid, its static mixing effect is low. Although the cross sections of holes are enlarged and reduced to increase its flow resistance and thus the mixing effect is improved, the loss of pressure in the entire device is increased. Since the holes are trapezoidal and have a flow reduction portion, it is difficult to process the holes.
As another conventional static fluid mixing device, there is a static fluid mixing device that includes a cylindrical casing and a mixing unit member which is formed with a first mixing hollow core group and a second mixing hollow core group, each having a plurality of hollow cores within a cylindrical member inserted into the cylindrical casing.
In the fluid mixing device described above, a fluid entering from its inlet is prevented from flowing linearly to changes direction, and flows radially between the hollow cores communicating with each other, with the result that the fluid is dispersed and mixed such as by collision, dispersion, combination, meandering and eddying flow. Since the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the mixing device differs from the direction of the division and aggregation of the fluid, its static mixing effect is high.
However, in the fluid mixing device described above, since the mixing unit member is formed with only the first mixing hollow core group and the second mixing hollow core group, the dispersion and combination of the fluid is performed only planarly and two-dimensionally with respect to the radial direction. The fluid only flows alternately between the first mixing hollow core group and the second mixing hollow core group, which overlap each other, and is thereby prevented from extending in the direction in which the first mixing hollow core group and the second mixing hollow core group overlap each other, with the result that the loss of pressure is increased.